10 Water Polo Coaching Tips

If you are interested in coaching water polo, then probably need to know 10 water polo coaching tips. With these tips you will surely have a better team!

Know the basic rules of water polo. To be a successful water polo coach, you obviously have to know the rules of the game. The object of the game is to throw the ball into the other team’s goal. There are seven players on each team in the pool during the game, and the players will swim to move around the pool.

When you acquire a new team, start with a scrimmage game among the team. Watch each player specifically and see where their strengths and weaknesses are during the water polo scrimmage game. Take notes about each player, use the notes about their offensive and defensive abilities to place them in positions.

Consult with your team and assign them positions based on the notes you took. The best way to base it is to take your team and determine who should be in one of the three positions in the front of the pool and for the water polo game and who should be in back for the majority of the water polo game playing defense. This is the most effective way for you as coach to design your team.

Do proper upper body training with your water polo team. The best way to do this effectively is to have your team swim laps. Start with 30 laps and work your way up for the team as they get stronger and stronger in their arms. This extra strength will allow your players to move much faster when playing a game of water polo.

Develop your water polo team’s core muscles also. The best way to do this is with the classic sit ups. Start your team off with 50 per set; this is a lot to start with but it will develop your teams endurance in their core so can swim a lot longer!

Don’t allow one player to run the water polo team. While there should be a captain for your water polo team, do not allow one player to be the “star” by making all the plays. This eventually messes up your water polo team because the other players feel useless and like they shouldn’t give it their all!

Get some plays ready for a real water polo game. One of the most basic is the entry where the play at the four meter line passes to another player at the two meter line. This play this passes back to another player at the three meter point in the pool and this player takes the shot. This is usually an unexpected play because it is expected that the player closer to the goal will take the shot.

Design your own plays. You should bring your whole team around and get some pointers. A good idea is to base you water polo plays based on other plays from other sports, like the "V" in football. In this player, five players surround the sixth player who has the ball and they all storm into the opposing team head on and get the player close enough to take the shot.

Do some offensive drills with your water polo team. You should do everything from shooting drills; such as where one player shoots and there is a line of players waiting to shoot and after each shot the shooting player goes to the back of the line. Make sure to have your goalie in the goal while doing this.

Also do some defensive drills. The best way to do this is to give the offensive side a play to run, and then have the defense figure out what the offense is doing and then counter it as necessary to make sure it isn’t done.